Securing means for vending machines



l.. H. MoRlN SECURING MEANS FOR VENDING MACHINES June 25, 1929.

Original Filed Jan. '7, 1927 A TTORNEY.

Patented June 25, 1929.

UNITED STATES LOUIS I-I. MORIN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO DOEIILERDIE-CASTING CO., A CORPORATION' OF NEW YORK.

SECURING MEANS FOR VENDING- MACHINES.

Original application filed January 7, 1927, Serial No. 159,528. Eividedand this November 5, 1927.

This application is a division of my copending application Serial No.159,528, liled January 7, 1927. rlfhe present invention relates moreparticularly to securing means for preventing vending machines frombeing stolen. lVhile the present invention may be employed for guardingsubstantially any type of vending' machine against theft, 1t hasparticular utility in the case of relatively small machines, for examplea machine of that type which at one operation vends the entire contentsof its magazine, most commonly a 'single package, and known as aunitvender. By reason of its small dimensions and light weight, amachine of this type may be more easily stolen. A bank or series of suchmachines may be conveniently arranged,` and securing means according tothis invention may be employed to guard against the theft of any of suchmachines.

Objects of this invention are to provide a simple, eliective, convenientand inexpensive construction for accomplishing` the above noted results,together with other objects and adi'fantages which will hereinafterappear.

The invention includes various features of construction and combinationsof parts, as will appear from the following dcscripinion.

The embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings willnew be described and thereafter the invention will be pointed out inclaims, reference now being had to the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a 'rear elevation drawn to a reduced scale as viewed from theright in the Fig. 3 and shows a plurality of the vending machinesIarranged in a series and locked in position;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation drawn to a larger scale of one of thevending machines shown in Fig. 1, for instance, that at. the eX- tremeleft, and

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken substantially on the lines 3 3 ofFigs. 1 and 2 and shows the means according to the invention forprotecting the vending machines against theft.

ri`he construction of the securing means by which the invention iscarried out according to the embodiments thereof illustrated in theaccompanying drawings will now be particularly described. rlhe securingmeans of the present invention shown in the drawapplication filed SerialNo. 231,311.

ings is the same as that disclosed in the parent application above notedand the vending machine shown is the unit vender the operating mechanismof which is fully disclosed and claimed in that application. In View ofthe fact that such operating mechanism is not pertinent to the presentinvention, it need not be particularly described herein, but such partsthereof' as appear in the drawings serve the purpose of identifying themachine as to its type and general nature, while at the same timeaffording an embodiment ot' the present invention.

An upright rectangular casing boX open at the front and having a rearwall 1, side walls 2 and 3, a bottom wall 4, and a top wall 5 may beformed by a stamping and. welding operations from suitable sheet metalsuch as steel. An outer front door plate or wall 6, which may be a diecasting, is hinged at its top to the top wall 5 of the casing box bymeans of a hinge pin 7 which is headed at both ends to form a rivet. Thedoor 6 carries an inner wall or plate 8 to form in elfect a part thereofspaced therefrom somewhat more than the thickness of a proper coin andfirmly secured thereto, such as by means of rivets 9 Fig. 2), theserivets passing through bosses or lugs on the inner side of the outerdoor wall 6 against which the inner wall 8 abuts, the margins of thisinner wall 8 fitting into an inner margin al flange provided on theouter wall 6,*as will be clear from the drawings. The inner and outerwalls 6 and 8 of the door are further secured together againstpossibility of spreading by means of a fifth rivet 10 adjacent the leftside thereof and which also forms a pivot pin for an operating part ofthe machine.

A lower inner bottom wall 11 for the casing box is spaced a shortdistance above its outer bottom wall 4 and at its lateral margins ishanged downwardly thus to rest by its flanges on the outer bottom wall,this inner bottom wall 1]. being shown as held iirmly in place by meansof a pair of front and rear rivets 12 and 13 (F ig. 3) which pass acrossthe intervening space between these bottom walls. An inner rear wall 14for the casing box is spaced from the outer rear wall 1 thereof and itsmargins are firmly secured to the side walls 2 and 3 and top wall 5, asshown in Fig. 3, thereby providing a rear space which may be utilizedfor an operating part of the machine.

Figs. 2 and 3, and

The rectangular space enclosed by the side walls 2 and 3, top wall 5,inner door wall 8, inner bottom wall 11 and inner rear wall 14; forms amagazine chamber to receive a package 15 (Fig. 3) oit goods to bevended. lniormation as to the kind of goods contained in the package 15may be supplied to customers by means of a suitable card (not shown) orslip oit paper, which also may have thereon any other information oradvertising matter desired, beneath a transparent nameu plate 16, whichmay be of Celluloid, held in place by a trame or holder 17 secured tothe top wall 5 and which may be a brass stamping.

Normally, or when the magazine chamber contains a package 15 to bevended, the door 6 is locked in closed condition, as shown in can onlybe unlocked to give access to the magazine chamber for the removal otthe package 15 by means ot a proper coin. The mechanism for locking andunlocking the door 6 need not be described.

-Towards its upper end and right side the outer wall 6 ott the door hasa raised portion 18 on its outer side (Figs. 2 and 3) by which this wallis thickened. A circular coin-receiving opening 19 ot a size to receivea proper coin is provided in the thickened portion 18, through the outerdoor wall 6 at a middle point transversely and having its lower edge atabout a middle point vertically ot the wall.

A manually operable depressible coincarrying plate 2O is slidablevertically between the outer and inner door walls 6 and 8 and is guidedat its right edge by the adjacent flange ot the wall 6. A handle knob 21iiXed on the upper end of the slide plate 2O projects to the outside atthe front through a vertical slot 22 in the thickened portion 18 of thefront plate 6, this slot forming a guide and stops for the coin-movingplate 20. rFhe coincarrying plate when set free at its lower positionwill be retracted or returned to its uppermost normal position by meansot a two-armed wire spring` 23 having an upper transversely extendinglong arm, a lower inclined shorter arm and an intermediate coil formingan eye. This spring is anchored to the back ot the inner door wall-8 bymeans of a T-headed lug 2li and a hook lug 25 both shown as punched out"from the material of the plate or inner wall 8, the headed lug 24:passing through the coil or eye of the spring adjacent the lett casingwall 2 and the lower arm of the spring being engaged by the hook lug 25.The upper arm of the spring 23 at its end adjacent the right casing wall3 passes freely through the inner end portion of a stud or pin 26 whichis rigidly carried by and projects rearwardly trom the coin-moving plate20, through a vertical slot 27 in the inner door wall 8 and which alsoforms a guide and may provide additional stops orthis plate. The inneror rear side of the outer door plate 6 is provided with a shallowvertically slotted groove 28 (Fig. 2) to accommodate a head on the pin26 at the front of the slidable coin plate 20.

rlChe coin-carrying plate 2O is cut away or recessed at its lett sideand lower end to receive the coin and to provide at the lower end o1cthe main or body portion a coin-pushing shoulder 29 and a dependingportion or leg 30. lWhen the coin-carrying plate 2O is at its normalretracted or uppermost position (Figs. 2 and 3) its coin-moving shoulder29 clears and is immediately above the upper edge o'l the coin opening19. Should an undersized coin be inserted it will drop down between thewalls 6 and 8 and will be directed to a re jection opening 31 in theplate 6 through vhich it will be finally guided by a concave outwardlyinclined lip 32 on thevinner wall 8 and punched out therefrom, thusreturning any such coins to the depositor.

ln accordance with the invention, means are provided 'for etliectivelyguarding against the 'theft ot the vending machine as a whole, togetherwith its contained package 15, or with its contained coin, such meansalso, ac cording to the invention, providing for supporting and guardingagainst the theft ot a plurality of these machines arranged side by sidein a horizontal series and including cooperating features of themachines themselves and oit a support in common theretor. 1n theconstruction shown in the drawings the rear wall 1 of the casing ot eachof the vending machines (shown in Fig. 1 as eight in number) iitsagainst the front side or' Jface ot an upright supporting and securingplate 33, the rear side or back of which is openly and freelyaccessible; and the bottom wall It ot each ot the vending machines restsupon a horizontal supporting plate 34 which is formed in one piece withthe upright plate 33, thereby to form an L-shaped supporting andsecuring plate 'tor all ot the machines, This L-shaped plate is securedin fixed position upon the top oi? a fixed support 35 which may be, forexample, the top of a counter or a shelf or the like, by means ofsuitable se-V curing devices shown as screws 36, one of which appears inFig. 3, passing downwardly through the horizontal plate 3st into thesupport and having their heads covered by 4the bottom wall 4 of themachine casing, so that these screws are inaccessible for removal whilethe machine is in place on the plate 34.

The rear wall 1 of the vending machine is provided with a lowerrearwardly projecting flat-headed stud 37, the head ot which is spacedfrom this wall to an extent equal to or a little more than the thicknessof the upright. plate 33, and the inner reduced or shouldered end of theshank of this stud passes through and is riveted or upset at the innerside otl the casing wall 1. The rear casing wall 1 of each vendingmachine is also provided with an upper flat-headed stud 38 ino ofsomewhat larger dimensions and of greater strength than the lowei` stud37 and the head of which is spaced a greater distance, for example,about twice the distance of that of the lower stud 37, from the back ofthe rear casing wall 1, thereby to provide a longer shank :["or thisupper stud, the inner reduced end of the shank of this stud also passingthrough and being riveted at the inner side of the casing wall 1.

rlhe upright supporting and securing plate 33 has therein a lowerhorizontal series of keyhole slots 39 which are shown as equidistantlyspaced from one another' a distance substantially equal to the width ofthe rectangular easing Ab'ox of any one of the vending machines (Fig.1), these key-hole slots having their small ends directed downwardly andbeing equal in number to the number of the vending machines to beaccommodated on the vertical plate 33. This upright plate 33 is alsosimilarly provided with an upper horizontal series of key-hole slots 40with their small ends also directed downwardly. The distance or spacingbetween the centers of the enlarged circular upper ends of the lowerkey-hole slots 39 and the enlarged circular upper ends of the upperkey-hole slots 4() is 'the same as the spacing or distance between thecenters of the lower studs 37 and the upper studs 38 carried by the rearwall 1 oit the respective vending machines. The lower stud 37 passesthrough and interlocks in the lower key-hole slot 39 while 'the upperstud v33 passes through and interlocks in the upper key-hole slot 40,with the bottom 4 of each vending machine resting upon the horizontalsupporting plate 34 (Figsl 1 and 3), it being noted that the head of theupper stud 38 is then spaced rearwardly from the upright supportingplate 33.

Locking means are provided to prevent the unauthorized disengagement ofthe studs 37 and 33 from the key-hole slots 39 and 40, and in theembodiment of the invention shown v in the drawings, such means iscommon to all horizontally at the back of the upright plate 33immediately above and in locking engagement with the Shanks of the upperstuds 38 within the space provided between the flat heads of these studsand such plate (Figs. 1 and This locking bar is shown as pivoted at oneet its ends on the upper right hand corner portion of the upright plate33 by means of a pivot stud or rivet 42, so that thereby this lockingbar may be swung upwardly out of engagement with the upper studs 38 ordownwardly into engagement therewith, as is shown in the drawings.

A key-operated lock 43 secured, for example, by means of rivets 44, onthe back of the upright plate 33 below and adjacent to the other or freeend of this locking bar, has a bolt 45 which may be withdrawn by meansof a key for the lock 43 or it may be horizontally projected as shown inFig. 1. The locking bar 41 carries a downwardly projecting catch orkeeper 4G, shown as a separate piece riveted to the bar, and having atlits lower end a hook or shoulder to be en gaged by the lock bolt 45 orto be disengaged thereby. A clip 47 on the back of the plate 33 andshown as riveted thereto is engageable by the outer side of the lowerend of the catch 46 to prevent the possibility of this catch beingsprung outwardly out of its en" gagement with lthe lock bolt 45. It willnow be evident that only an authorized person having a proper key torthe lock 43 will be able toremove any one of the vending machines fromits support.

It is obvious that various modilications may be made in the constructionshownv in the drawings and above particularly described, within theprinciple and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Means for guarding a vending machine against theft comprising a lixedsupporting plate against one side of which a plate forming a wall of themachine casing may fit and the other side oil which is exposed foraccess, a slot provided through one of said plates and a shouldered studlixedly carried by the other said plate to project through the slot andby sliding movement therein to engage the vother side of the, slottedyplate by its shoulder', a slot provided through the supporting plateparallel to the iii-st named slot, and arshouldered stud fixedly carriedby the casing plate to project through and have sliding movement in theslot in the supporting plate with its shoulder beyond and spaced fromthe exposed side of the latter plate, a member mounted on the exposedside of the supporting plate engageable with the shoulder of the studwhich projects through the supporting plate to prevent withdrawal ofthis stud and also engageable with this stud to prevent slidingdisengagement ot the other said stud from its slot, and a lock for saidmember which can be unlocked only by an authorized person.

2. Means .for guarding a vending machine against theft comprisingv afixed supporting plate against one side ot which a wall of the machinecasing may lit and the other side of which is exposed for access, akey-hole slot being provided through said plate, a headed stud lixedlycarried by the casing wall to have interlocking engagement with thekeyhole slot and with its head spaced from the exposed side of saidplate, and means 1novably mounted on the exposed side of said plate toengage the stud between its head and the plate to prevent thedisengagement of the st-ud from the key-hole slot, such means includinga lock which can be unlocked only by an authorized person.

3. Means for guarding against the theft of a vending machine comprisingan L-shaped supporting plate having an upright portion and a horizontalportion, means accessible only from the upper side of said horizontalportion for securing the plate in place so that a vending machine mayrest upon said horizontal plate portion to cover said securing meansJfor the plate and so that one of the upright side walls ot the machinecasing may lit against the adjacent upright side of said plate, akey-hole slot being provided in the upright portion of said plate, aheaded stud lixedly projecting` from the casing wall to haveinterlocking engagement in the key-hole slot with the casing restingupon said horizontal portion of the plate, the head ot said stud beingspaced from the exposed side oit said plate, a member movably mounted onthe eXposed'si'de of said plate to engage between the head of the studand the plate in position to prevent disengagement of the stud from thekey-hole slot, and a lock for said member which can be unlocked only byan authorized person.

4. Means for guarding against the theft of any one of a plurality ofvending machines arranged in a substantially horizontal series side byside comprising a iiXed upright supporting plate against one side oiwhich an upright side wall of each of the vending machines may litandthe other side of which is exposed for access, an aperture beingprovided in said plate at the back of each of said vending machines, ashouldered stu'd l'iXedly projecting from the rear wall of each of thevending machines of sullicient length to leave a space between itsshoulder and the exposed side of said plate, a transversely extendingsecuring member engageable in said space with the shoulder of each ofsaid studs to prevent the withdrawal of the latter, and a lock forholding said member in engagement with the studs and which can beunlocked only by an authorized person.

5. Means for guarding against the theft oi a plurality ofvvendingmachines arranged side by side in a horizontal series comprising a fixedupright supporting plate having therein a horizontal series ofvertically positioned key-hole slots and against one side'of whichplatethe rear wall of each of the Vending lmachine casings may tit andthe other side ofthe plate being exposed for access, a headed studprojecting from the rear wall of each vending machine to haveinterlocking engagement in one of the key-hole slots at the back of suchmachine, said studs being of a length to provide a space between theirheads and the exposed side of said plate, a horizontally extending barto engage with all of the studs and their heads for holding said studsagainst disengagement from their slots, and a lock or holding said barin engagement with said studs and which can be unlocked only by anauthorized person. l

6. Means to guard against the theft of a plurality oi vending machinesarranged in a horizontal series side by side comprising an L-shapedsupporting plate accessible from its back and against the front side ofwhich the rear upright walls of the respective vending machines may litwith their bottoms resting upon the horizontal portion of said plate,ymeans for securing the plate in lixed position rendered inaccessible bythe presence of the vending machines, the upright portion of said platehaving therein a lower horizontal series of key-hole slots with theirsmall ends directed downwardly and equal in number to the number ofvending machines to be accommodated, said upright portion of the platealso having therein an upper horizontal series of key-hole slots withtheir small ends directed downwardly and equal in number t0 the numberotl vending machines, a lower headed stud projecting from the rearcasing wall of each vending machine to have engagement in one of thelower key-hole slots, an upper headed stud projecting from the rearcasing wall of each vending machine to have engagement in an upperkey-hole slot and the heads of these upper studs being spaced rearwardly'from said plate, a locking bar pivoted at one of its ends to one end ofthe back of said plate to be swung downwardly into engagement with saidupper studs and their heads thereby to prevent the disengagement of bothsets of said studs from their key-hole slots, and a key-operated lockforsecuring said bar in locking lengagement with said upper set of studs.

lirwitness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my signature.

Louis H. MORIN.

